Crying Lightning
● Arctic Monkeys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were practicing a magic trick
And my thoughts got rude, as you talked and chewed
On the last of your pick and mix
Said your mistaken if your thinking that I haven't been called cold before
As you bit into your strawberry lace
And then a flip in your attention in the form of a gobstopper
Your past-times, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I love that little game you had called
Crying lightning
And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons
The next time that I caught my own reflection
It was on it's way to meet you
Thinking of excuses to postpone
You never look like yourself from the side
But your profile did not hide
The fact you knew I was approaching your throne
With folded arms you occupy the bench like toothache
Stood and puff your chest out like you never lost a war
And though I try so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction
There was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw
And your past-times, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
Crying lightning
And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons
Uninviting
But not half as impossible as everyone assumes
You are crying lightning
Your past-times, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
Crying lightning
Crying lightning
Crying lightning
Crying lightning
Your past-times, consisted of the strange
And twisted and deranged
And I hate that little game you had called
Crying
Lightning
In "Crying Lightning," the singer encounters a woman outside of a cafe who is practicing a magic trick. As she talks and eats her pick and mix, he finds his thoughts becoming rude. He learns that she is accustomed to being called "cold." She then changes the subject to her favorite game, "Crying Lightning," which involves annoying the ice cream man on rainy afternoons. The singer later reflects on his own appearance before meeting her and his nervousness at approaching her. When he finally does approach her, she seems uninterested and aloof. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus emphasizing the strange and deranged nature of the woman's pastimes and the singer's frustration with her.
The lyrics suggest a theme of the unpredictable nature of human relationships and the difficulty in truly getting to know someone. The woman's pastimes are presented as dark and unusual, indicating that she is not an easy person to understand or connect with. The singer is clearly frustrated with her behavior but is also intrigued by her unpredictability. The use of the term "Crying Lightning" to describe her game suggests a sense of sadness or anger behind her behavior, as if she is acting out as a way of coping with deeper emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Outside the cafe by the cracker factory
The scene is set at a cafe by a cracker factory
You were practicing a magic trick
The person being addressed is practicing a magic trick
And my thoughts got rude, as you talked and chewed
The singer's thoughts turned impolite as the person being addressed talked and ate
On the last of your pick and mix
The person being addressed was eating their last bit of mix and match candies
Said your mistaken if your thinking that I haven't been called cold before
The artist corrects a mistaken assumption that they have never been called cold before
As you bit into your strawberry lace
The person being addressed bit into a strawberry candy
And then a flip in your attention in the form of a gobstopper
The person being addressed gets distracted by a gobstopper, shifting their attention
Is all you have left and it was going to waste
The person being addressed only has a gobstopper left, and it's going to waste
Your past-times, consisted of the strange
The person being addressed has a history of engaging in unusual activities
And twisted and deranged
Those past activities were twisted and disturbed
And I love that little game you had called
The singer enjoys a game that the person being addressed used to have
Crying lightning
The game is called 'crying lightning'
And how you like to aggravate the ice-cream man on rainy afternoons
The person being addressed enjoys annoying the ice-cream man during rainy afternoons
The next time that I caught my own reflection
The singer is reflecting on a past encounter with the person being addressed
It was on it's way to meet you
The singer was on their way to meet the person being addressed
Thinking of excuses to postpone
The artist was considering ways to delay the meeting
You never look like yourself from the side
The person being addressed looks different from the side
But your profile did not hide
The person's profile did not conceal
The fact you knew I was approaching your throne
The person being addressed was aware the singer was coming to meet them
With folded arms you occupy the bench like toothache
The person being addressed is sitting on a bench with their arms folded like a painful toothache
Stood and puff your chest out like you never lost a war
The person being addressed stands and puffs their chest out, as if they've never lost a battle
And though I try so not to suffer the indignity of a reaction
The artist tries not to react to the person being addressed
There was no cracks to grasp or gaps to claw
The singer has no opening to respond to the person being addressed
And your past-times, consisted of the strange
The person being addressed has a history of engaging in unusual activities
And twisted and deranged
Those past activities were twisted and disturbed
And I hate that little game you had called
The singer dislikes a particular game that the person being addressed used to play
Crying lightning
The game is called 'crying lightning'
And how you like to aggravate the icky man on rainy afternoons
The person being addressed enjoys annoying the ice-cream man during rainy afternoons
Uninviting
The person being addressed is unwelcoming
But not half as impossible as everyone assumes
The person is not as difficult to approach as people think
You are crying lightning
The person being addressed evokes feelings of shock, surprise, or instability, like crying lightning
Your past-times, consisted of the strange
The person being addressed has a history of engaging in unusual activities
And twisted and deranged
Those past activities were twisted and disturbed
And I hate that little game you had called
The artist dislikes a particular game that the person being addressed used to play
Crying lightning
The game is called 'crying lightning'
Crying lightning
Repeating the title of the game
Crying lightning
Repeating the title of the game
Crying lightning
Repeating the title of the game
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALEX TURNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind